CPRA Board of Directors

Mike has a degree in Recreation Administration and a Masters in Human Resource Management from the University of Regina. He has been involved with the parks and recreation community both provincially and nationally for many years; getting involved with Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association (SPRA) in 2002, becoming president of the association for two years starting in 2013. He is currently the CPRA Board President and has been a sitting on the Board since 2013. Through his varied work experience both as board member of CPRA and President of SPRA he has had the opportunity to work with a wide range of recreation professionals and volunteer organizations, and has developed an understanding of the special needs and interests of various recreation and sport sectors. As CPRA President, he looks forward to once again working with all the representatives from across Canada. Currently he is a manger of Facilities Building Services for the City of Regina and is a sessional lecturer for the University of Regina.

+Mike Roma – Alberta Recreation and Parks Association

Mike Roma is a partner at RC Strategies+PERC, a consulting firm specializing in recreation and parks planning. Mike is the past President of the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association and has also served on the Leisure Information Network Board and the Recreation for Life Foundation Board. Mike has been involved in the recreation and parks sector for over 15 years and truly believes in the benefits of these essential services to the individual, community, and environment. Mike is an active volunteer, participant, and coach and lives in Sherwood Park, Alberta with his family of four.

+Julie Fortin – Association québécoise du loisir municipal

Julie Fortin has been Director of Culture, Recreation, and Sports for the borough of Beauport, in Québec, and a member of the Board of the Association québécoise du loisir municipal for the past five years. As a major player in her professional field for over 15 years, she believes that leisure activities enable citizen participation while promoting improved quality of life in communities at all levels. Passionate about adventure travel, she explores the world in search of innovations that can be applied in her community.

+Heather Turner – BC Recreation and Parks Association

Heather holds a Bachelor of Arts in Recreation Administration; University of Alberta and International Leisure Studies; University of Edinburgh. She is a passionate leader and volunteer; currently on the Board of Directors of BCRPA and Diving Plongeon Canada, supplemented with judging diving nationally and internationally. Heather is past President of CPRA and is excited to be renewing her role on the Board of Directors.

She is an avid fitness enthusiast who also enjoys continuous learning, innovative approaches and family/friend time

+Tony Devlin – NWT Recreation and Parks Association

Tony Devlin has spent the past 15 years living in Canada’s North specializing in northern aboriginal communications. He has served 7 years on the Board of Directors for the Northwest Territories Recreation and Parks Association and has represented the NWT on the CPRA board for the past 5 years. Tony also sits as Chair of the CPRA Strategic Development and Communications Sub-Committee and has been involved with the National Recreation Framework and has contributed to the bi-annual National Recreation Summits since inception. In his spare time, Tony runs a full-service photography and media design company and enjoys life at -20 with his wife, four kids and his dog.

+Michael Cleland – Parks and Recreation Ontario

Michael Cleland lives in Port Credit with his young family. His education and background in recreation, tourism and urban planning are constantly in action in his current role as Area Manager for the Hershey Facilities, Sports & Community Development at the City of Mississauga. His travels abroad count 65 countries with long-term assignments in Ireland, Wales, Kuwait and Ghana. Michael is a Past President of Parks and Recreation Ontario, a former Governor on the National Board of Governors for Scouts Canada, and the Past President of the Rotary Club of Mississauga Lakeshore.

+Donna Watts – Recreation Connections Manitoba

Donna has been working in the recreation field for the past twelve years, and believes strongly in recreation's contribution to developing healthy, vibrant communities. Donna is the Recreation Director for the Lac du Bonnet and Pinawa communities in Manitoba and is serving her third two year term on the Recreation Connections MB Board of Directors. She has a passion for grant writing and road trips and is a proud mom of three boys.

+Dana Purton-Dickson – Recreation New Brunswick

Dana is the current President of Recreation New Brunswick. She is also the Director of Community Services for the Town of Quispamsis, a community of 19,000 where she has lived and worked for the past 20 years. She is active in her community on a variety of committees as well as regionally as President of the Fundy Region Professionals Association. Dana has previously served as president, board member and advocacy committee chair at Recreation New Brunswick as well as a board member and advocacy committee member of CPRA. . Dana has represented New Brunswick at P/T Member meetings as well as the National Framework Committee meetings. Dana has also volunteered internationally with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities CARILED (Caribbean Local Economic Development) Program.

+Tina Auchinleck-Ryan – Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador

Tina is the current Vice President of Recreation Newfoundland. She is also the Director of Community Services for the Town of Torbay and will reach 25 years of service in May, 2017. Tina has previously served as President, Physical Activity Rep, and Avalon Regional Director on the Recreation Newfoundland Labrador board. Tina is chairperson of High Five for Rec NL. Tina is an active volunteer and enjoys working with community. Outside of work hours she has an active lifestyle with her husband, daughter and son.

+Kerri Penney – Recreation Nova Scotia

Kerri Penney has been working as Community Development and Recreation Director in the Municipality of the District of St. Mary’s in rural Nova Scotia for the past four years. During that time, Kerri received a diploma in Recreation and Leisure Services online from Canadore College to add to her Broadcast Journalism diploma from the Nova Scotia Community College. Kerri is passionate about the sustainability of rural communities in Nova Scotia and loves to think outside the box when it comes to recreation and community development. She spends much of her time working alongside residents and organizations in St. Mary’s to think big and get creative in how programs and services are offered. Kerri spends much of her free time in the outdoors with her black lab Ruger and tries to be an example for women to get more involved in outdoor activities such as archery, ATVing, hunting, fishing and exploring.

+Fred Muise – Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut

Fred Muise is the current President of the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut, and has been on the RPAN Board since it's inaugural year in 2012. Fred has been the Recreation Coordinator for the Hamlet of Cambridge Bay. He is an active member in his community serving in a wide variety of roles with the Cambridge Bay Minor Hockey Association and the community radio station. Fred has a strong belief in the benefits of quality recreation which contributes to more active individuals and healthier communities.

+Ian Spencer – Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon

Ian Spencer moved to the Yukon Territory in 1998 after graduating from the University of Saskatchewan with a degree in Kinesiology. He works as Recreation Coordinator for the Village of Mayo in the heart of the Yukon. He became a board member of the Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon in 2000, was elected President in 2003 and has continued the role ever since. Ian joined the CPRA as the Yukon representative in 2008, and currently sits as Chair of the Finance & Operations Committee and is the Board Liaison to the Canadian Playground Safety Institute. In his free time, he volunteers as a firefighter, paramedic and coach.

+Nancy McMinn – Recreation PEI

Nancy graduated from the University of Waterloo with a degree in Environmental Studies, and she completed her Master of Public Administration through the University of Western Ontario. Nancy has worked across Canada, in Ontario, Alberta and Prince Edward Island; her area of interests includes, education, natural areas, forestry, municipal parks planning and management. Currently she is working on Prince Edward Island as the Parks Superintendent for the City of Charlottetown Parks & Recreation Department. Nancy is an inaugural member of the Canadian Parks & Recreation Association (CPRA) Parks Task Force established in 2007 and represents Recreation PEI on the CPRA Board.

+Dawna Nielson – Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association

Dawna is the current President of the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association. She currently is working as the Vice President, Sport, Entertainment & Events at the Regina Exhibition Association Ltd. operating Evraz Place. Dawna has been involved in the recreation, sport and parks field for the past thirty years, and believes strongly in our sector's contribution to developing healthy communities. She has previously served as a board member of the Saskatchewan Facilities Recreation Association, the Association of Saskatchewan Urban Parks and Conservation Agencies, the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association as Director of Cities, the Saskatchewan Games Council and has attended numerous Canada Games as a member of Team Saskatchewan.